IP Library Granted Patent US 9,625,995
Granted Patent B2
US 9,625,995 · App. 14/214,584 · Granted Apr 18, 2017

Identifying an object in a field of view

Inventor: David Holz (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Leap Motion, Inc.
G06F3/017G06F3/0304G06F3/0421G06F3/0425G09G3/3406G09G3/3413G09G2340/0435
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,625,995
App. No.
14/214,584
Granted
Apr 18, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to identifying an object in a field of view of a camera. In particular, it relates to identifying a display in the field of view of the camera. This is achieved by monitoring a space including acquiring a series of image frames of the space using the camera and detecting one or more light sources in the series of image frames. Further, one or more frequencies of periodic intensity or brightness variations, also referred to as ‘refresh rate’, of light emitted from the light sources is measured. Based on the one or more frequencies of periodic intensity variations of light emitted from the light sources, at least one display that includes the light sources is identified.

Claims (31)

1. A method of recognizing a display in a field of view of a camera, the method including:

acquiring a series of image frames from the camera, the image frames including an object;

detecting one or more light sources in the series of image frames;

analyzing the one or more light sources across the series of image frames for periodic brightness variations to determine a refresh rate of the one or more light sources; and

recognizing an object in the series of images as a display that includes the one or more light sources, the recognizing based on the refresh rate determined from the periodic brightness variations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the refresh rate is determined by measuring one or more frequencies of the periodic brightness variations.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including varying a rate of capture of the series of image frames.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the rate of capture is 50, 60, 75, 100, or 120 frames per second.

5. The method of claim 3 , further including using a beat frequency of the periodic brightness variations against the rate of capture to determine the refresh rate.

6. The method of claim 1 , further including determining a distance between a user in the field of view of the camera and the display.

7. The method of claim 6 , further including setting a context for interpreting user gestures as user-input commands based at least in part on the determined distance.

8. The method of claim 1 , further including prompting a user to make a plurality of contacts at multiple locations on the display and determining a plane occupied by the display based on the plurality of contacts.

9. The method of claim 1 , further including prompting a user to point, with a stylus, to a target presented on the display and detecting a position of the stylus.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including prompting the user to point multiple times at multiple targets and determining a plane occupied by the display based on the detected position of the stylus.

11. A method of recognizing a display in a field of view of a camera, the method including:

monitoring a space using the camera;

in response to a detection of one or more light sources in the space, measuring one or more frequencies of periodic intensity variations of light emitted from the one or more light sources to determine a refresh rate of the one or more light sources; and

recognizing at least one object within the space as a display that includes the one or more light sources, the recognizing based on the refresh rate determined from the measured one or more frequencies of the periodic intensity variations.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the recognizing of the at least one object as the display includes determining a shape of the recognized at least one object.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including determining a length, a width, or an aspect ratio of the recognized at least one object.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the recognizing of the at least one object as the display includes determining that a shape of the recognized at least one object is rectangular.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the recognizing of the at least one object as the display includes comparing a length, a width, or an aspect ratio of the recognized at least one object to a predetermined length, a predetermined width, or a predetermined aspect ratio of the display.

16. A system of recognizing a display in a field of view of a camera, the system including:

the camera that captures a series of images in the field of view including the at least one object; and

an intensity analyzer running on at least one processor coupled to the camera, wherein the intensity analyzer:

detects one or more light sources in the series of images;

analyzes the one or more light sources across the series of images for periodic brightness variations to determine a refresh rate of the one or more light sources; and

recognizes an object of the at least one object as a display that includes the one or more light sources, the recognizing based on the refresh rate determined from the periodic brightness variations.

17. The system of claim 16 , further configured to determine a distance between a user in the field of view of the camera and the display.

18. The system of claim 16 , further configured to vary a rate of capture of the series of images.

19. The system of claim 18 , further configured to use a beat frequency of the periodic brightness variations against the rate of capture to determine the refresh rate determined from the periodic brightness variations.

Assignments (13)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2026
From: SIM IP HXR LLC
To: UNITY MASTER LLC SERIES XIX
Reel/Frame 075365/0907 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2026
From: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
To: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 075288/0661 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2026
From: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
To: SIM IP HXR LLC
Reel/Frame 075127/0488 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2026
From: ULTRAHAPTICS LIMITED; ULTRAHAPTICS IP LIMITED; ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED; ULTRALEAP LIMITED
To: SIM IP HXR LLC
Reel/Frame 074403/0721 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2020
From: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC
To: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 052902/0571 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
To: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC
Reel/Frame 052848/0240 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2020
From: LEAP MOTION, INC.
To: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC.
Reel/Frame 052914/0871 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2020
From: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC.
To: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 051580/0165 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2019
From: HAYNES BEFFEL WOLFELD LLP
To: LEAP MOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 049926/0631 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2019
From: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
To: LEAP MOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 049337/0130 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2019
From: LEAP MOTION, INC.
To: HAYNES BEFFEL WOLFELD LLP
Reel/Frame 048919/0109 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2015
From: LEAP MOTION, INC.
To: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 036644/0314 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2014
From: HOLZ, DAVID
To: LEAP MOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 032448/0273 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61791151 · Mar 15, 2013
Related Publication 20140267190A1 · Sep 18, 2014